Mechanical toy



G. N. HALL MECHANICAL TOY Dec. 11., 1928.

Original Filed April 29, 1925 deo r ge NQHa dl Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

UNITED. STATES GEORGE N. HA L, or Los enemies, CALIFORNIA.

MECHANICAL TOY." 1

Application filed Apri129, 1925, Serial No.. 26,793-.-;Renwed April 26.'..1928.' w

. This invention relates to mechanicaltoy, and has for its object, broadly, to pro? vide parts which may beioperated manually to cause movements of an, object foramusement purposes. One of the. specific objects is to provide a toy .consisting of few and simple parts so that it may be conveniently manufactured and at a minimum. of cost. Another specificobjeot is to provide, for a dancing object, certain parts, including a ratchet-wheel of such form that the steps of the dancer will ,be varied at each rotation of the wheel. Another object, also-specific, is to provide adjustable features for supporting the body of the dancer at selected heights above a support or platform so that the feet may strike lightly or heavily upon the support, or may be maintained in non-- contact with the support.

With the foregoing objects in view the invention presents a novel construction, combination'and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, derstood that changes in form, size, proportions and minor details may be made, said changes being determined by the scope of the invention as claimed. In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the device, a box or casing being shown partly in section. Fig.2 is a section through the casing on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is in an end view of the casing. Fig. 4 is a side View of a ratchet-Wheel.

Referring now to the drawing, the inven tion is shown and described inconnection with a dancing object 5' and a box or casing 6 which operates as a container for mechanism and as a platform which the feet of the dancer may engage, the thighs a of the dancer being pivoted, as indicated at b, to the body 7 andthe arms 0 being pivoted, as indicated at d to the body. The legs of the dancer, as indicated at e, are pivoted at the knees, as usual, to permit a free movement of the feet upon the platform, during operation. In order that the body of the dancer may be vertically reciprocated and that the movement of the body will not be uniform, certain mechanism is provided, consisting, in part, of a shaft 8' having hearings in the sides of the casing and adapted to be actuated by means of a crank for rotating a ratchetwheel 9.

Numeral 10 indicates an angular operatit being uning-bar preferably constructed of wire and having a pivotal mounting g in the side of the casing for its lower end, said bar or wire; extending through the top of the box for a mounting h at its upper end upon the body of the dancer. -Numera l 11 indicates a spring which is disposed inthe casing, said posite endengaging said part is of the wire or operating-bar 1 It will be noted by referring'to Fig. 4: that the teeth of the ratchet-wheel are not uniform in structure. While the terminals of the teeth are approximatelyequi-distant from the axis of the length, and this feature is depended upon to cause a variation in the verticalreciprocation of the body of the dancer, said body, during each rotation of the shaft 8, being disposed atvarying distances from the platform or support 6, and the feet of the dancwheel, they 'difi'er in er, on this account, having a variety of movements which are novel and pleasing.

Numeral 12 indicates a control-spring or wire, operating as a rock-lever. It is mounted midway between its ends upon the shaft. 8, its inner end being disposed below and in engagement with the under side of the wire 10. It extends outwardly of the easing, and its outer end-portion is adapted to engage in one of the recesses 7' formed. in the end of the casing, its function being to limit the movements, in one direction, of the body of the dancer. The recesses r are formed or i 1 disposed at vertical intervals, and it will be understood that, during operation, said wire or lever being disposed in the uppermostrecess a", the part is of the operating-bar 10 will, by operation of'the spring 11, bemoved toward'the axis of the wheel 9 and will engage all of the curved surfaces t during operation, the feet of the dancer striking the top of the casing with considerable force. An adjustment may be made by placing the outer end-portion of the lever or wire 12 in a recess 7' below and adjacent to the uppermost recess, the result being that said member 12, during operation, will be elevated and will engage only a rt of the curved surfaces t of the teeth, the feet of the dancer lightly engaging the casing; and if the member 12 is disposed in one of the recesses 1', lower than mentioned, the feet of the dancer will strike the platform or seilpport with still lesser force than mention and an ad justment may be made, b the means described, whereby the feet 0 the dancer, during operation, will be maintained in noncontact with the casing.

The casing is preferably constructed of sheet-metal and is secured to a base we of wood or other suitable fibrous material so that the dancing may be clearly audible.

I claim as my invention,-

In a mechanical toy, a support, a revoluble shaft journalled on the support, a ratchet wheel rigidly mounted on the shaft, an angular operating-bar engaging the ratchetwheel and extending upwardly through the support, resilient means for maintaining normal engagement of the operating-bar GEORGE N'. HALL. 

